MOSCOW, April 17 - RAPSI. The number of corruption crimes has increased by about one-fourth in 2012, according to a report submitted by Prosecutor General Yury Chaika to the Federation Council.

"The number of registered crimes reached 49,513 in 2012, which is 22.5% more than the number of crimes registered in 2011 (40,407)," according to the report.
Charges were brought against more than 13,500 people.

The greatest number of corruption crimes involved fraud, embezzlement and the illegal use of property and funds. Meanwhile, the number of crimes committed against the state, state services and local governments, as well as the number of registered bribery cases, has dropped.

Corruption is widespread in the field of budgetary appropriations for state contracts, transactions involving federal and municipal property, and business activity control. Other types of corruption crimes involve abuse of office for the provision of exemptions at the government's expense.